Jonathan Hodgkin is a small business owner in Moonah (ABC Local:Fred Hooper)

"Let's have a sensible conversation around penalty rates.

"Let's have some recognition that Australian wages are ridiculously high for where we are in the world and the penalty rates add to that problem," says Mr Hodgkin.

Sitting in his cafe Mr Hodgkin explains that employing an 18 year-old dishwasher for his business during the week is one thing, but when it comes to weekend work, he simply "can't afford that."

With less than two weeks to go, Mr Hodgkin says he's feeling a little flat about the Tasmanian state election.

"I suspect like many people, I have election fatigue.

"Having endured a federal campaign of what felt like at least five years last year and then for some reason the state politicians seem to think that they have to be in perpetual election mode," he says.

Turning back to the issues directly relating to small business in Tasmania, Mr Hodgkin says he would like to see things simplified from his point of view.

"We close the doors I go home, I've got an hour of paperwork that I have to do that includes the day to day running, counting tills all that sort of stuff but it also includes administering federal taxes.

"We'd like it to be simpler, we'd like some sense that small businesses are recognised and that life could be easier for small businesses and that they can make it easier for small businesses," he says.

Clarifying what small business is, Mr Hodgkin describes them as "the mum and dad businesses."

"We're effectively not paid by our business, our business keeps us living and there are many small businesses like that, life could be a lot easier for us tiny family businesses," he says.

More focus on what Tasmania does well like "high quality and boutique and small scale things" is something Mr Hodgkin would like to see for Tasmania's future.

"Pay attention to your local customers and then your outside, your non-locals your interstate or from out of area visitors will come to your area of local excellence," he says.